1
as in enacting
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declaring
to state clearly and strongly
at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in specifying
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in relinquishing
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
commanded the surrounded troops to lay down their weapons
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying down
Verb
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Starring Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough as the psychotic couple enacting his redemption plan, the film is described as a sharp social commentary.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026 -
Costco was among the largest of more than 1,000 retailers that sued, arguing that the president had exceeded his emergency powers in enacting some of the tariffs.—
Shelly Banjo,
semafor.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Members of the caucus emerged from a two-hour meeting on Thursday declaring that the 47-member group is coalescing around a unified strategy rather than splintering into factions, which could mean the government funding fight lasts well beyond the current 37 days.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Bailey's recognition comes as the magazine celebrates 40 years of declaring the honor, which began in 1985 with Oscar winner Mel Gibson.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The changes were initiated by the Homeland Security Department, the current official said, without specifying which cities were impacted.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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Without specifying the countries of origin, the Russian Defense Ministry said foreign fighter jets were scrambled to identify the Russian aircraft on parts of their flight, adding that the flight was in strict compliance with international airspace rules.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Republicans relinquishing control of one or both chambers of Congress in 2026 will render the president a lame duck for the remainder of his second term, and Democrats have an early 4-point advantage on generic congressional ballot polling.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
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McMillon said that as AI continues to proliferate and impact the ways that people’s lives and daily activities work, Walmart needs to stay an active part of the transformation, even if that means relinquishing control of how that technology evolves.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, second-year quarterback Drake Maye finds himself among the leading early MVP candidates while ranking fifth in the league in passing yards (2,285) and tied for third in touchdown passes (17) while throwing only four interceptions.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The Bearcats had 222 yards passing and 273 yards rushing.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For years, Putin has been asserting a vision of a world divided by a few powerful men into spheres of influence.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
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The mayor called on ICE agents to leave the city, asserting that federal immigration authorities were ripping families apart and sowing chaos on Minneapolis streets.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Longbow believes weight has become the defining problem across the car industry.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
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Many who lost their homes — including generations of Black locals who gave the mountain town a defining part of its identity for decades — remain displaced.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, the amount of money actually saved by the department has been called into question and Musk has since left the administration, rendering DOGE somewhat defunct.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
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However, the amount of money actually saved by the department has been called into question and Musk has since left the administration, rendering DOGE somewhat defunct.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Laying down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20down. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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